Fallout New Vegas BEST Armor And Locations

Fallout New Vegas has quite unique sets of armor that offer a solid amount of protection from the damages. There are a few things that must be noted before diving directly into the best armor list. First of all the powerful armor equip directly depends on the type of character you have. Some players may seek only the best light armor in Fallout New Vegas, for the sake of getting a higher critical hit rating. While others incline towards power armor for the higher Damage Threshold(DT) it offers.

For those who do not know, Damage Threshold(DT) is the stat value for the specific armor that is subtracted from each shot or damage taken during combat. To put it more simply, it is the damage absorption that your armor can take upon the damage. Now each armor has its unique DT, which defines its strength and quality for your character. With that said, let’s discuss some of the best armors in Fallout New Vegas.

Fallout New Vegas Best Armors

Here is a comparison table for the Best Armor in Fallout New Vegas. You can sort the values for the lowest and highest stats for each armor:

No.	Armors	DT	Item HP	Effects	Weight	Value
1	Hazmat Suit	11	150	Pois. Res. +85	18	1200
2	Hazmat Cowl	2	100	Night Vision	2	500
3	Explorer’s Gear	2	3000	AP +10 Critical Chance +3 Charisma +1	35	6496
4	Blackjack Courier Duster	13	800	Varies	3	1700
5	Reinforced Combat Armor MKII	20	650	Melee Weapons +2 Guns +2	25	8000
6	Stealth Suit MKII	14	500	All of the effects stack: Sneak +15 (Firmware v1.0) Sneak +10 (Firmware v1.1) Perception +1 (Firmware v1.2) Agility +1 (Firmware v1.3) Movement speed while crouched +20% (Firmware v1.4)	25	7500
7	Gannon Family Tesla Armor	826	400	+10 Energy Weapons +20 Radiation Resistance	35	8194
8	T-51B Power Armor	25	2000	Strength +1 Radiation Resistance +25	40	5200

Hazmat Suit and Cowl

Attribute	Value
DR	-
DT	11
Item HP	150
Effects	Pois. Res. +85
Weight	18
Class	Light
Value	1200
Repair	Radiation suit Advanced radiation suit
Variants	-
Editor ID	NVDLC03GhostHoodlessbody
Form ID	xx00DBB7 (armor) xx014178 (world object)

Cowl:

Attribute	Value
DR	-
DT	2
Item HP	100
Effects	Night vision
Weight	2
Class	-
Value	500
Repair	Headwraps
Variants	-
Editor ID	NVDLC03GhostHoodlessHead
Form ID	xx00DBB6

When it comes to the best light armor in Fallout New Vegas, Hazmat Suit and Cowl tops on the list. Many players do not think of Hazmat Suit as worthy equip for their character. But with the quirky offerings of the suit, it is definitely a starter armor for beginner players. Apart from the lightweight value of 18, the armor offers a DT value of 11.

On the other side, Hazmat Suit grants night vision, which upon coupling with your character can enhance the combat effectiveness. One of the best locations to acquire the armor is from the Hazmat Testing Ground. However, there is a catch to it. The suit you are seeking will be stored in a pod. In order to take it, you will need to have an upgraded Sonic Emitter to break the pod. Or you can get the security code for Hazmat Security Pod by visiting the Z-43 Innovative Toxic Plant.

At the plant, you will need to go to the Sink Balcony. Here you will see a bunch of Filing Cabinets and beneath them an item that is the Pod security code on Hazmat Testing Ground. 

Explorer’s Gear

Attribute	Value
DR	-
DT	2
Item HP	3000
Effects	AP +10 Critical Chance +3 Charisma +1
Weight	35
Class	Heavy
Value	6495
Repair	Legion armor Marked scout armor Marked tribal armor Heavy armor
Variants	-
Editor ID	-
Form ID	xx00C716

Another light yet best armor that players can acquire is the Explorer’s Gear. Not only does this set grant damage resistance but also looks good for the type of your character. If that outfit seems familiar, then you are right, as this is the clothing of the retired soldier of Enclave Orion Moreno.

The Explorer’s Gear light armor comes with the Damage Threshold of 8. Plus, it adds +2 skills points to both melee and guns skills. With these perks, this is definitely the best armor beginner players can acquire. In order to get the Explorer’s Gear, you will have to get your hands dirty by killing the Orion Moreno at NCR Sharecropper Farms.

But be advised that killing him early will result in losing some other rewards. For instance, the For Auld Lang Syne quest is offering a huge reward that requires Orion Moreno alive. Once you are done with all the quests series with him, you can kill him to get his Explorer’s Gear.

Armor of the 87th Tribe

Armor of the 87th Tribe is exactly what the name says. Apart from that, it is the Fallout New Vegas best heavy armor that offers a rewarding amount of DT hitting value at 22. Not just that but wearing the armor will enhance the character’s critical hit up to 3% while rewarding the charisma of +1. Considering these stats, Armor of the 87th Tribe is easily the most effective and worthy for all kinds of players.

Since it is heavy armor, but what it lacks in the heavyweight, it makes up for the damage resistance. If you are wondering where to get this, you will need to have the Lonesome Road Add-on that was the final expansion in Fallout New Vegas. If you have not played the Lonesome Road expansion, then we might not reveal it to you. But in the end, you will be going to meet an individual in Cottonwood Cove.

To get there you will need to get a boat, which will be revealed after completing the story of Lonesome Road. The individual you are going to meet is Gaius Magnus. Once again you will be killing the individual and looting the Armor of the 87th Tribe from his corpse.

Blackjack Courier Duster

Attribute	Value
DR	-
DT	13
Item HP	800
Effects	Varies
Weight	3
Class	Light
Value	1700
Repair	Leather armor Light armor
Variants	-
Editor ID	NVDLC04ArmorDusterCourie NVDLC04ArmorDusterCourier NVDLC04ArmorDusterNCR NVDLC04ArmorDusterOldWorld
Form ID	000CB549xx009253 (Yes Man variant) xx009254 (Legion variant) xx009255 (NCR variant) xx009257 (Mr. House variant)

Speaking of Lonesome Road Add-on, developers have added numerous items to satisfy players’ looting needs. Blackjack Courier Duster armor is one of these prominent loots that players should never overlook. It is important to note that Courier Duster is unique apparel with four variants. These include Blackjack, Fighting Chance, The Great Bear, and Old World Justice.

The Blackjack Courier Duster is the only best variant for armor that offers a good amount of damage resistance for your character. This armor comes with a DT of 13 with the cost of 3 weight. Considering this small amount of weight, Blackjack Courier Duster is undoubtedly an interesting armor player can consider.

The armor grants +1 Luck and +30% Poison Resistance in addition to damage resistance. These perks help players land more critical hits during their wasteland journey.

Obtain the Courier Duster by completing “The Apocalypse,” the final quest of Lonesome Road, regardless of your chosen ending.

However, the armor variants may vary with your character’s reputation in the faction. In the case of Blackjack Courier Duster, you will have to pursue the Yes Man faction. Just after speaking to Ulysses, you will see an item crate in the middle, right next to a rock. Here you can retrieve the Blackjack Courier Duster.

Reinforced Combat Armor MKII

Attribute	Value
DR	-
DT	20
Item HP	650
Effects	Melee Weapons +2 Guns +2
Weight	25
Class	Medium
Value	8000
Repair	Combat armor Medium armor
Variants	-
Editor ID	ArmorCombatReinforcedMark2
Form ID	0015EF66

Combat Armor MKII is one of Fallout New Vegas’s top medium armors due to its helmet protection. It provides 20 DT, with 5 DT specifically for the helmet, ensuring head safety.

However, it’s quite heavy at 25 weight. Finding this rare armor can be a challenge, as only 4 of them exist in the game.

Two ways to acquire Combat Armor Mark II are:

1. Purchase from in-game vendors like Daniel Contreras at Camp McCarran and Knight Torres at the Hidden Valley Bunker.
2. Loot it from a duffle bag located east of Ranger Station Foxtrot. Start from Brewer’s Beer Bootlegging, but beware of Cazadores in the area. You may need to use ammo to secure the armor.

When you are done with the Cazadores and what is left of them, head to the valley in between the old Shack on the left side and mountains. After following the path in the valley, you will come across a duffle bag and some leftovers of a creature. In here you can loot the Reinforced Combat Armor, Reinforced Helmet, and tons of ammo, making it Fallout New Vegas best non-power armor item among players.

Stealth Suit MKII

Attribute	Value
DR	-
DT	14
Item HP	500
Effects	All of the effects stack: Sneak +15 (Firmware v1.0) Sneak +10 (Firmware v1.1) Perception +1 (Firmware v1.2) Agility +1 (Firmware v1.3) Movement speed while crouched +20% (Firmware v1.4)
Weight	25
Class	Medium
Value	7500
Repair	Combat armor Combat armor reinforced Medium armor
Variants	-
Quests	X-13: Attack of the Infiltrator!
Editor ID	NVDLC03AuralStealthsuit
Form ID	xx00C12F

The Stealth Suit MKII is the top stealth armor in Fallout New Vegas. It grants +15 Sneak, +1 Agility, +1 Perception, and +20% crouch movement speed, ideal for stealth or ninja character builds.

The armor has a damage threshold of 14 and weighs 25, and while its damage threshold to weight ratio may not seem great, the added bonuses make it worthwhile for stealth builds.

To obtain the Stealth Suit MKII, visit the X-13 Research Facility on the west side of Big MT.

Here you will be collecting the stealth armor in three pieces. Meanwhile, the exploration of the facility is part of the main story for Fallout New Vegas World Blues expansion, we will let you finish the mission yourself and collect the prize.

Gannon Family Tesla Armor

Attribute	Value
DR	-
DT	826
Item HP	400
Effects	+10 Energy Weapons +20 Radiation Resistance
Weight	35
Class	Medium
Value	8194
Repair	Remnants power armor Medium armor
Variants	-
Quests	For Auld Lang Syne
Editor ID	ArmorGannonTesla
Form ID	00133168

If you are looking for an extra level of protection and defense against the damages, then Gannon Family Tesla Armor is the one you need. This extremely good-looking suit is in fact a medium-class armor but has the damage threshold of power armor. It comes with a DT of 26 and weighing around 35.

On the other side, Gannon Family Tesla armor enhances the Energy Weapons with a bonus of +10 and +20% radiation resistance. To acquire that you will have to play a companion quest named “For Auld Lang Syne”. It is the quest that is offered by Arcade Gannon. In the end, while leaving the Remnants Bunker, you will meet with Arcade again who will tell you about the Gannon Family Tesla armor and its history with his family. Regardless of the dialogue choice, he will be giving you the Tesla armor.

T-51B Power Armor

Attribute	Value
DR	-
DT	25
Item HP	2000
Effects	Strength +1 Radiation Resistance +25
Weight	40
Class	Heavy
Value	5200
Repair	T-51b power armor Brotherhood T-51b power armor T-45d power armor NCR salvaged power armor Heavy armor
Variants	-
Editor ID	ArmorPowerT51b
Form ID	000A6F77

T-51B is our recommended power armor in Fallout New Vegas, offering the highest damage threshold (31 DT) for protection. It provides +1 Strength, 33% radiation resistance, and +1 Charisma.

You can easily obtain it at various locations, including Hidden Valley, the east side of the Colorado River at Deathclaw Promontory, and our favorite spot, Cliffside Prospector Camp. Be prepared for Geckos and Deathclaws there.

Get to the other side of the camp by sneaking up to the rocks and mountains. Here you will find the dead bodies of two prospectors. One will be wearing the T-51 Power Armor. While the other will be wearing Remnants Power armor. You can choose any one of the armor for the type of your character and defense needs.

Final Words

Armors are a great approach to set up the character’s defenses and ensure a smooth gameplay experience. Playing Fallout New Vegas can become difficult while fighting the way through the overpowered enemies. But with the best armors on your side, you can continue your journey and gain the most out of the gameplay experience.

Well, that is about it for the best armor and their locations in Fallout New Vegas. Did you find this guide helpful to obtain the armor of your choice? What is your choice of armor in Fallout New Vegas? We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section down below.